The Political Climate: an ongoing commentary on the NH Primary and Climate Change

After delivering his “Energy Security” address yesterday, McCain received a bit of criticism from both supporters and pundits.  The critiques weren’t directed at his speech (in fact that seemed to have gone over well) but instead stemmed from a lack-luster, somber delivery and continued upset about the “Bomb-Iran” joke.  The New York Times said his tone was “doggedly serious” and his delivery only slightly upbeat during portions of the speech.  The Washington Post’s blog “The Fix” noted that the subject matter wasn’t the most uplifting topic, but then went on to criticize McCain as having “projected an air of somber seriousness that showed little of the fun-loving maverick that voters (and the media) fell in love with.”  Although I haven’t actually watched the speech, TPC applauds McCain for taking a serious issue and keeping it serious for a 25 minute policy address.  There are times for jokes and times for Straight Talk, and when addressing issues like the dangerous and imminent threat of global warming as well as U.S. dependence on unstable regimes in order to satiate our addiction to oil, I think McCain took the right approach. 

Barack Obama also made a formal policy address yesterday, but his focused on the issue of foreign policy.  The blog “The Caucus” outlined the five major points of his address.  The fourth point paraphrased: “that’s why the fourth way America must lead is to rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats.”  Obama mentioned global warming as one of those common challenges: “As the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, America has the responsibility to lead here…we must demand the same efforts from others.” (Read his entire speech here).